a short history of wales-第12部分

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ht　of　God；　and　that　no　lord　could　be　responsible　for　them。　　Bishop　Pecock　advocated　the　doctrine　of　tolerationthat　reason；　not　persecution；　should　rule。　　John　Penry　claimed　that　the　people　had　a　right　to　discuss　publicly　the　questions　that　vitally　affected　them。　　The　history　of　the　past　shows　that　the　apostles　were　condemned；　the　life　of　the　present　shows　that　their　ideas　lived。

Industry　and　commerce　became　more　free。　　In　Tudor　times　piracy　was　repressed；　the　march　lordships　were　abolished；　the　privileges　of　the　towns　ceased　to　fetter　manufacture；　trade　with　England　became　free。　In　Stuart　times　roads　were　made；　the　industries　depending　on　wool　revived；　and　the　industries　of　Britain　began　to　move　westwards　towards　the　iron　and　the　coal。　　In　the　Hanoverian　period　waste　lands　were　enclosed；　the　slate　mines　of　the　north　and　the　coal　pits　of　the　south　were　opened。

The　Tudors　succeeded　in　getting　the　upper　classes　to　speak　English；　and　to　turn　their　backs　on　Welsh　life。　　The　peasant　was　left　supreme：　he　knew　not　what　to　do　at　first；　but　light　soon　came。

Pass　through　Wales；　and　you　will　see　the　life　of　both　periodsthe　ruined　castles　and　the　ruined　monasteries　of　the　old；　the　quarries　and　pits；　the　towns　and　ports；　the　churches　and　chapels；　the　schools　and　colleges　of　the　present。



CHAPTER　XXIHOWEL　HARRIS



It　is　difficult　to　write　about　religion　without　giving　offence。　Religion　will　come　into　politics；　and　must　come　into　history。　　It　has　given　much；　perhaps　most；　of　its　strength　to　modern　Wales；　it　has　given　it　many；　if　not　most；　of　its　political　difficulties。

There　are　periods　of　religious　calm　and　periods　of　religious　fervour　in　the　life　of　every　nation。　　I　do　not　know　whether　it　is　necessary；　but　it　is　certainly　the　factthe　two　periods　condemn　each　other　with　great　energy。　　With　regard　to　creedthe　life　of　religionyou　will　find　that　the　periods　of　energy　tend　to　be　Calvinistican　intense　belief　that　man　is　a　mere　instrument　in　the　hands　of　God；　working　out　plans　he　does　not　understand；　while　in　periods　of　rest　it　tends　to　be　Arminiana　comfortable　belief　that　man　sees　his　future　clearly；　and　that　he　can　guide　it　as　he　likes。　　With　regard　to　the　Churchthe　body　of　religionit　is　fortunate；　in　times　of　calm；　if　it　is　established；　to　keep　the　spirit　of　religion　alive；　it　is　fortunate；　in　times　of　fervour；　if　it　is　free；　in　order　that　the　new　life　may　give　it　a　more　perfect　shape。

Now　we　must　remember　that　there　can　be　no　calm　without　a　little　indifference；　and　that　there　can　be　no　enthusiasm　without　a　little　intolerance。　　So　men　call　each　other　fanatics　and　bigots　and　hypocrites；　because　they　have　not　taken　the　trouble　to　realise　that　there　is　much　variety　in　human　character　and　in　the　workings　of　the　human　mind。　　Perhaps　it　is　also　worth　remembering　that　an　institution　is　not　placed　at　the　mercy　of　a　reformer；　but　gradually　changed。

The　eighteenth　century　was　a　century　of　indifference　in　religion　in　Wales；　the　nineteenth　century　was　a　century　of　enthusiasm。　　The　Church　at　the　beginning　of　the　eighteenth　century；　at　any　rate　as　far　as　the　higher　clergy　were　concerned；　was　apathetic　to　religion；　and　alive　only　to　selfish　interests。　　The　Whig　bishops　were　appointed　for　political　reasons；　they　hated　the　Tory　principles　of　the　Welsh　squires；　and　they　neglected　and　despised　the　Welsh　people　they　had　never　tried　to　understand。　　In　England；　the　Defoes　and　the　Swifts　of　literature　were　encouraged　and　utilised　by　the　political　parties；　in　Wales；　where　clergymen　were　the　only　writers；　the　Whig　bishops　distrusted　them；　and　silenced　them　where　they　could；　because　they　wrote　Welsh。　　The　Church　did　not　show　more　misapplication　of　revenue　than　the　State；　perhaps；　but；　while　the　people　could　not　leave　the　State　as　a　protest　against　corruption；　they　could　leave　the　Church。　And；　during　the　middle　of　the　eighteenth　century；　a　great　national　awakening　began。

The　trumpet　blast　of　the　awakening　was　Howel　Harris。　　He　was　a　Breconshire　peasant；　of　strong　passion　which　became　sanctified　by　a　life…long　struggle；　of　devouring　ambition　which　he　nearly　succeeded　in　taming　to　a　life　of　intense　service　to　God。　　Many　bitter　things　have　been　said　about　him；　but　nothing　more　bitter　than　he　has　said　about　himself　in　the　volumes　of　prayers　and　recriminations　he　wrote　to　torture　his　own　soul；　and　to　goad　himself　into　harder　work。　　The　fame　of　his　eloquence　filled　the　land；　and　districts　expected　his　appearance　anxiously；　as　in　old　times　they　expected　Owen　Glendower。　Howel　Harris　was；　however；　no　political　agitator。　　He　had　an　imperious　will；　and　he　wished　to　rule　his　brethren；　he　was　aggressive　and　military　in　spirit；　God　to　him　was　the　Lord　of　Hosts；　he　preached　the　gospel　of　peace　in　the　uniform　of　an　officer　of　the　militia；　and　he　sent　many　of　his　converts　to　fight　abroad　in　the　battles　of　the　century。　　He　had　a　love　of　organisation；　he　established　at　Trevecca　what　was　partly　a　religious　community；　and　partly　a　co…operative　manufacturing　company。　　But；　wherever　he　stood　to　proclaim　the　wrath　of　God；　no　shower　of　stones　or　condemnation　of　minister　or　justice　could　make　those　who　heard　him　forget　him；　or　believe　that　what　he　said　was　wrong。

If　I　were　writing　for　antiquarians；　and　not　for　those　who　read　history　in　order　to　see　why　things　are　now　as　they　are；　I　would　write　detailsimportant　and　instructiveabout　the　Church　of　the　eighteenth　century；　and　about　the　congregations　of　Dissenters　which　the　seventeenth　century　handed　over　to　the　eighteenth　to　persecute　and　despise。　　The　Independents　and　Baptists　sturdily　maintained　their　principles　of　religious　liberty；　but　they　found　the　century　a　stiff…　necked　one；　and　their　congregations　were　content　with　merely　existing。　　The　Quakers　maintained　that　war　was　wrong　while　Britain　passed　through　war　fever　after　war　feverthe　Seven　Years'　War　and　the　wars　against　Napoleon。　　Howel　Harris'　voice　might　have　been　a　voice　crying　in　the　wilderness；　if　it　had　not　been　for　the　spiritual　life　of　the　existing　congregations；　conformist　and　dissenting。　Modern　ideas　in　Wales　have　been　profoundly　affected　by　the　Quakers；　and　especially　in　districts　from　which；　as　a　sect；　they　have　long　passed　away。

The　voice　of　Howel　Harris　called　all　these　to　a　new　life；　and　it　is　about　that　new　life；　in　the　variety　given　it　by　all　the　different　actors　in　it；　that　I　want　you　to　think　now。　　It　made　preaching　necessary；　for　one　thing；　and　it　was　followed　by　a　century　of　great　pulpit　oratory。　　It　profoundly　affected　literature。　　It　gave　Wales；　to　begin　with；　a　hymn　literature　that　no　country　in　the　world　has　surpassed。　　The　contrast　between　the　Reformation　and　the　Revival　is　very　strikingone　gave　the　people　a　Church　government　established　by　law　and　a　literature　of　translations；　the　other　gave　it　institutions　of　its　own　making　and　original　living　thought。　　The　Revival　gave　literature　in　every　branch　a　new　strength　and　greater　wealth。

It　created　a　demand　for　education。　　Griffith　Jones　of　Llanddowror　established　a　system　of　circulating　schools；　the　teachers　moving　from　place　to　place　as　a　room　was　offered　themsometimes　a　church　and　sometimes　a　barn。　　Charles　of　Bala　established　a　system　of　Sunday　Schools；　and　the　whole　nation　gradually　joined　it。　　The　Press　became　active；　newspapers　appeared。　　It　became　quite　clear　that　a　new　life　throbbed　in　the　land。



CHAPTER　XXIITHE　REFORM　ACTS



The　new　life　brought　an　inevitable　demand　for　a　share　in　the　government　of　the　country；　and　this　brought　the　old　order　and　the　new　face　to　face。　　The　political　power　was　entirely　in　the　hands　of　the　squires；　alienated　from　the　peasants　in　many　cases　by　a　difference　of　language；　and　in　most　cases　by　a　difference　of　religion。

The　Act　of　1535　had；　as　we　have　seen；　given　Wales　a　representation　in　Parliament。　　Each　shire　had　one　member　only；　except　Monmouth；　which　had　two。　　Each　shire　town　had　one　member；　except　that　of　Merioneth；　and　Haverfordwest　was　given　a　member。　　The　county　franchise　was　the　forty　shilling　freehold；　it　therefore　excluded　not　only　those　who　had　no　connection　with　the　land；　but　the　copyholderwho　was　really　a　landowner；　but　whose　tenure　was　regarded　as　base；　on　account　of　his　villein　origin。　　This　copyholder　was　undoubtedly　the　descendant　of　the　Welsh　serf　of　mediaeval　times。

The　first　Reform　Act；　that　of　1832；　was　won　for　the　great　manufacturing　towns　of　England；　but　Wales　benefited　by　it。　　It　extended　the　franchise　to　the　copyholder；　and　to　the　farmer　paying　50　pounds　rent；　in　the　counties；　it　gave　the　towns　a　uniform　10　pounds　household　franchise。　　It　also　brought　many　of　the　towns　into　the　system　of　representation。　　It　raised　the　number　of　members　from　twenty…seven　to　thirty…two；　the　agricultural　districts　getting　two；　and　the　mining　districts　two。

The　slight　change　in　representation　is　a　recognition　of　the　growing　industries　of　the　country；　especially　in　the　coal　and　iron　districts。　The　coal　of　the　great　coalfield　of　South　Wales　had　been　worked　as　far　back　as　Norman　times；　but　it　was　in　the　nineteenth　century　that　the　coal　and　iron　industries　of　South　Wales；　and　the　coal　and　slate　industries　of　North　Wales　became　important。　　Cardiff；　Swansea；　and　Newport　became　important　ports；　and　places　that　few　had　ever　heard　of　beforelike　Ystradyfodwg　or　Blaenau　Ffestiniogbecame　the　centres　of　important　industries。　　But；　in　1832；　Wales　was　still　mainly　pastoral　and　agricultural；　and　the　Act；　though　it　did　much　for　the　towns；　left　the　representation　of　the　counties　in　the　hands　of　the　same　class。　　Still；　it　was　the　towns　that　showed　disappointment；　as　was　seen　in　the　Chartism　of　the　wool　district　of　Llanidloes　and　of　the　coal　district　of　Newport。

The　second　Reform　Act；　of　1867；　gave　Merthyr　Tydvil　two　representatives　instead　of　one；　otherwise　it　left　the　distribution　of　seats　as　it　had　been　before。　　But　the　new　extension　of　the　franchise…　…to　the　borough　householder；　the　borough　10　pounds　lodger；　and　especially　the　12　pounds　tenant　farmergave　new　classes　political　power。　　It　was　followed　by　a　fierce　struggle　between　the　old　landed　gentry　and　their　tenants；　a　struggle　which　was　moderated　to　a　certain　extent　by　the　Ballot　Act　of　1870；　and　by　the　great　migration　of　the　country　population　to　the　slate　and　coal　districts。

The　rapid　rise　of　t